concerns with licensure eligibility changes in ncees model law dee s. fultz, p.e. past chair, alaska...

Concerns with Licensure Concerns with Licensure Eligibility Changes inEligibility Changes in NCEES Model Law NCEES Model Law

Dee S. Fultz, P.E.Past Chair, Alaska Section

Past Region 6 Secretary2007-2008 Region 6 Northwest Area Chair

IEEE Educational Activities Board MeetingFebruary 17, 2007

OverviewOverview

I. Findings of ELQTF 2003 Report

II. NCEES 2006 Model Law Revision

III. Concerns with ‘BS+30’

IV. Recommendations

IEEE Alaska Section Presentation to IEEE EAB, 2-17-2007IEEE Alaska Section Presentation to IEEE EAB, 2-17-2007

‘BS+30’: Bachelor’s degree plus 30 additional credit-hours

ELQTF: Engineering Licensure Qualifications Task Force

NCEES: National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying

I. 2003 ELQTF ReportI. 2003 ELQTF Report

Concerns with Current Licensure System

o Examination Timing, relevance of PE Examination Advanced Degree Exemption ‘Practice’ Examination

o Engineering Education Blurring of Science and Engineering Specialization/Splintering Reduction of Core Subjects Foreign Degrees Licensed Educators



Concerns with Current Licensure System

o Other Related Concerns Stature of Profession Engineers Not Seeking Licensure Mobility and Jurisdictional Concerns



Recommendations for Model Law

o Engineering Education Provide Bachelor’s plus additional courses in

“specialties related to practice”

Engineers must acquire additional fundamental knowledge

Noted that students take 18 fewer engineering credits than in 1920s, but specific subject areas were not identified



Recommendations for Model Law

o Stature of the Profession Extended Education

• Task Force generally agreed Engineering has not kept pace with other professions;

• ‘B+M/30’ proposal advanced by ASCE not universally accepted by other disciplines, thus reluctance to move immediately to that requirement

• Recommended pre-engineering BS programs,

and “professional schools of engineering” as long term solution





OverviewOverview




II. NCEES Model Law 2006II. NCEES Model Law 2006

Amendment to NCEES Model Law (9-15-06):

“An engineer intern with a bachelor's degree must have an additional 30 credits of acceptable upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level coursework from approved providers in order to be admitted to the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination. “

- NCEES News Release, 9-25-2006


OverviewOverview








III. Concerns with BS+30III. Concerns with BS+30

I. Need for additional credits has not been adequately demonstrated

II. Additional credit study has not been well defined

III. Implementation, course availability, and consequences have not been well thought out


I. Need for additional credits not adequately demonstrated

o NCEES has not identified specific areas of engineering study that are lacking

o View that there are technical content shortcomings in accredited programs isn’t supported by NCEES PE Exam statistics

Since Depth & Breadth Format change (2002), EE pass rate has increased from 30% to 60%

o Majority of license investigations/punitive actions involve ethical violations; justification for BS+30 does not address this critical issue



II. Additional 30 credit study not well defined

o Without identified specific ‘voids’ in undergraduate study areas, how can required ‘corrective’ study be formulated?

o ABET accredited Bachelor programs should provide all necessary curricula - before engineering interns enter workplace

o How will advanced/graduate studies be defined and ‘standardized’ across all State jurisdictions to meet the NCEES objective?



III. Implementation, availability, and consequences not well thought out

o Uniformity across state jurisdictions will be difficult

o Majority of post-graduate programs are not focused towards practicing professional engineers

o Colleges have little motivation to provide standardized ‘Plus 30’ programs

Only 10% of graduating electrical engineers seek license Unavailability will act as a barrier to licensure

o Concerns with State Jurisdictional acceptance 27 of 66 NCEES Members (41%) voted against ‘BS+30’ ‘BS+30’ may compound existing comity problems



OverviewOverview




IV. Recommendations





IV. RecommendationsIV. Recommendations

IEEE Region 6 Operations Committee resolution, Feb. 10, 2007:

“Request that the IEEE Educational Activities Board refrain from any action on ‘BS+30’ until U.S. members have been thoroughly informed and have been able to provide comment”

IEEE-USA Liaison to NCEES should assist in identifying specific shortcomings in core subjects of accredited undergraduate programs, to assist ABET in addressing concerns identified in ELQTF 2003 Report


concerns with licensure eligibility changes in ncees model law dee s. fultz, p.e. past chair, alaska...

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